Metropolitan Pool, in the Williamsburgh section of Brooklyn, was built under the auspices of Borough President Edward Riegelmann in 1922. The pool and bath, constructed at an original cost of $148,272, were designed by the noted architect Henry Bacon (1866-1924). It was the eighth of nine municipal bath houses erected by the Department of Public Works, in order to promote public health, hygiene and recreation. In 1922 annual use of the city’s bathhouses was a remarkable 13 million visits. Overseeing Brooklyn municipal construction were Joseph A. Guider, Commissioner of Public Works and James J. Byrne, Superintendent of Public Buildings, each of whom later served as Borough President.